Roasted Garlic
- 4-6 whole heads of garlic or however many you’d like to roast
- Olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a sharp knife, cut the tops off each head of garlic, about 1/4 inch down, which exposes the garlic cloves. Place the garlic heads onto a sheet of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap and seal the foil at the top and roast for 45 minutes to an hour. The garlic should be tender, mellow, and lightly caramelized. Squeeze the cloves out and add to sauces, dressings, dips, softened butter, mashed potatoes, etc. Some people even spread roasted garlic directly onto toasted baguette slices.
Bacon Bowties
- 6-8 slices thick bacon, diced
- 1 lb bowtie pasta
- 1 lb baby Bella mushrooms, quartered or cut into eighths depending on size
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 head roasted garlic (or 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp and brown.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the bowties until they are al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Remove all but 1 tbsp of the bacon grease and saute the mushrooms until nicely browned. Do this in batches if needed, as overcrowding the pan can result in mushrooms that release their liquid and won’t brown. Once the mushrooms are nicely caramelized, season them with salt and add the shallots to saute briefly. If using fresh garlic, add it now as well. Add the cream, peas, and squeeze the garlic from the skins into the pan, smashing them with a wooden spoon to incorporate them into the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer for 3-4 minutes to reduce and thicken. Add the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper. Add the hot, freshly cooked bowties to the pan and toss well to combine. If needed, add a bit of pasta water to help it come together. Season again with salt and pepper and top with additional cheese, if desired.
Roasted Garlic Dressing
- 1 head roasted garlic (or 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced)
- 1 tsp fish sauce, plus more to taste
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To serve:
- 2 heads romaine lettuce, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
In a food processor, combine the garlic (squeeze the garlic from the skins if using roasted garlic), fish sauce, lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, mayonnaise, and Parmesan. Whisk to combine and season with freshly ground pepper and additional fish sauce, if desired. To dress salad, toss the romaine lettuce and tomatoes in a large bowl and add the dressing a spoonful at a time, tossing to coat. Refrigerate any remaining dressing and use to dress any salad or as a sandwich spread or vegetable dip.
